Collapsible lifting apparatus.



E. CRI-I IVHEUJAVAL.

COLlAPSIBLE LIFTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3,1913.

1 A WAAMW I A Patented. Apr. 113, 11915.

2 SHBETBSHEBT 1.

wwf A E. CREIVHEU-JAVALJ COLLAPSIBLE LIFTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3, 191a.

1 1 Patented Apr, 13, 1915.

pr v11 EDGAR!) CREMIEU-J'AVAL, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

COLLAPSJEBLE LIF'JLING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. T3, T915.

Application filed June 3, 1913. Serial No. 771,493.

To all whom,- it may concern:

Be it known that T, EDGARD' CRE'MIEU- J Avail, a subject of the King of Great Britain and-Ireland, and resident of London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Collapsible Lifting Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the subject of lifting apparatus, and has special reference to a novel and improved construction involving the use of lazy-tongs.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a construction that will easily lift and sustain a maximum weight, and which can be easily and quickly returned to its normal collapsed condition. To this end the invention contemplates a collapsible lifting device of the lazy-tong type, or that type which includes in its organization a plurality of links and levers connected to form a collapsible parallelogram. Furthermore,:the

invention is directed particularly to anembodiment of this'type of lifting apparatus in which an alteration in the shape of the parallelograms is efi'ectedby the extension or contraction of certain parts of the apparatus caused by the rotation of a single manually operated rod which has oppositely pitched screw threads thereon.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple and substantial construction that is durable, economical from both a practical and manufacturing standpoint, and possesses many practical advantages which will be more readily apparent as the nature of the invention is set forth in the following specification.

With the-above and other objects in view which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

A preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a front elevation of the device partially extended. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail front elevation, partly in section of the front bridge piece. Fig. 4 is a plain View of the bridge piece shown in Fig. 3, and also showing its contained nut. Fig. 5 is a detail elevational view partly in piece. Fig. 6 is a detail view showing a modified method of mounting the links and levers shown in the upper part of Figs. 1 and 2.

Similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

' In carrying out the present invention, the various links and levers may be bent as shown in Fig. 1, although it will be under- .stood that by adopting suitable mechanical expedlents 1n convenient places, these parts may be modified and the working of the apparatus in no way affected.

In the embodiment shown in the several figures of the accompanying drawings, especially Figs. 1 and 2, the invention is shown as consisting of a parallelogram device comprising opposite pairs of crossed weight sustaining levrsa and b, and a and "7)" which are pivotally connected at their crossing points as indicated at to form oppositely arranged weight sustaining elements. A short distance back from the upper ends of the levers a, b and a, b, there are pivoted opposite pairs-of elevating links cl-d, whose meeting ends are pivotally united by means of a connecting pin 6 which not only connects the opposite pairs of links,

but at the same time provides a joint for the individual links of each unit or pair. This connecting pin e is adapted to enter and slide within a vertical slot 7 formed in a table or weight supporting head 9 which may be of triangular formation as shown in Fig. 2, or any other suitable design. The said table or supporting head 9 is pivotally connected at its upper corners by means of the supporting links it to the outermost ends 2' of the weight sustainin levers a, b and a, 7) as clearly shown in ig. 2 of the drawings.

The lower ends of the crossed levers a, 0. and b, b are connected in substantially the same manner as the upper extremities. That is to say, a short distance back from the lower ends of the levers a, a, of the opposite pairs of crossed. weight sustaining levers, there are pivoted the elevating links (1" by means of a pivot pin 7' which is common to both the links of each arm a, a and spans the distance between them, while a short distance back from the ends of the levers b, b the elevating links at" are pivoted by means of thetrunnions 'm of a nut carsection of a modified form of front bridge i rying frame n. Thus it will be apparent that the links (1" and d pivoted to the opposite crossed levers a and b andn" and b form opposite pairs of elevating links which are jointed at their meeting ends by means of the pivot pins t. These pivot pins t unlike the connecting pin e at the top of the apparatus are only stub pins and do not connect the opposite pair of ]O1Ilt8d elevating levers composed of the links d" and d as will be apparent from an inspection of Fig. 1 of the drawings. The said pivots t t are adapted to enter and slide freely within the vertical slots u of the opposite side walls of a supporting base 1:. The extreme ends we of each of the weight sustaining levers have pivotally attached thereto one end of the lifting links a: the opposite ends of wh1ch are pivoted as at w to the side walls of the base 4) on each side of the slot 10.

The pivot pin or rod 7' which connects the rear and lower links (1 with the levers or links a, a carries an internally screw threaded bridge piece is, while the substantially U-shaped nut carrying frame or yoke 'n, on the opposite side of the apparatus (Fig. 2), and having the internal guide ribs 0, slidably received a detachable internally screw threaded nut member 9. The said nut member 9 and bridge piece are threaded in such a manner as to receive the ends of a right-and-left-hand screw-threaded expanding and contracting rod 1' havlng at its outer end a square tool engaging portion 5 for receiving a suitable key or equivalent tool to enable said rodto be rotated to effect the contraction or expansion of the parallelogram device. Itwill thus be apparent that the turning of the screw rod will either draw the links d" andd toward each other to effect a rise of the apparatus or else push them intopractically a straight line to bring the apparatus to a lower or semi-collapsed condition. During the movement of the arms d and d the pivots 27 rise and fall in the slots at, and the connecting pin 6 at the topof the device does likewise in the slot of the table g.

For the purpose of effecting a quick return when the apparatus is to be collapsed after doing its work, or to bring said apparatus up to its work, the nut g which is slidably mounted in the bridge piece 1?. is detachably secured therein by any suitable locking means. For the purpose of illustration, the means of accomplishing this result is shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4 of the drawings as comprising a slide y working in a guideway 2 in the upper part of the nutg, the front end of said slide engaging in a notch a formed in one arm of the bridge piece n. By withdrawing the slide y through the medium of its knob 2 the nut g is unlocked from the bridge piece a so that it is free to be lifted from the frame to carry the usa e screw rod r upward and clear of the bridge piece, thus enabling the apparatus to be readily collapsed by its own weight, or by hand pressure upon the table or supporting head 1 as will be readily apparent.

Instead of employing a nut detachably secured in the bridge piece n the releasing device may be formed as a half nut, the upper portion being formed as a spring pressed clamping part 7b held in position by an arrangement of springs n as clearly shrhwn in Fig. 5, or other equivalent means. This construction allows the screw 1* when raised or lifted upward to clear the lower screw threaded part and permits the same to slide through the bridge piece. It will, of course, be understood that any convenient or operable means may be employed to effect quick disengagement of the screw rod to make '-pos-'- sible the quick collapse of the apparatus, without departing from the spirit of the in vention or scope of the appended claims.

In the modification shown in Fig.6, instead of employing a vertical slot f and pin 6 passing therethrough as in Figs. 1 and 2, any or all of the duplicate pivots 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 may be loosely mounted so that the requisite degree of play is allowed to insure a vertical or approximately vertical movement of the table 9.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that when the elevating levers are in their collapsed or normal position and it is desired to elevate the head 9, it is only necessary to rotate the rod r'so'that the bridge piece is is drawn toward the nut carrying frame n.- That is'to say, the'rotatio'n of the rod '2' in one direction, brings the pieces 70 and n-together and draws the links (1" and 03' together forcing their pivot t downward in slot u, and because of the connection of the said links d and d with the levers a, b, and a, b the latter will be forced toward a vertical position thus elevating the table g. The rotation of the rod in the opposite direction will effect a gradual collapse of the crossed weight sustaining levers. However, as has been previously pointed out to effect a quick collapse of the levers or quickly bring the table 9 11p to its work, the nut g carrying the'rod r is removed from the frame n and the apparatus adjusted by hand to its desired position. Of course, it will be understood that the nut member 9 will have to be spun aroimd by hand on the end of the rod so that it will properly register with the frame '11., but obviously this 'is much quicker than rotating the rod by a tool. When the nut member 9 is in such a position that it will properly register with the frame n it can he slid therein and locked by means of the slide 1/ and the minute adjustment, that is the small raising or lowering of the table 9, may be accomplished by turning the screw rod by means of a tool.

LILEBW M 'l'he rod 1' in its normal position not only forms the means for ralsing and lowerlng the apparatus but forms a lock or support that retains the levers in their desired polit ill

(ill

sition. That is to say,'the rod 4 performs the dual function of an elevating and retaining element that can be thrown out of position when desired to permit the parts of the device to operate under their own weight or by manual manipulation.

Having now described my invention, what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is l. A collapsible lifting apparatus including a base, a supporting table, crossed weight sustaining levers pivoted in axial alinement, lifting links connecting the ends of said levers with the base and supporting table, upper and lower sets of jointed elevating links connecting the crossed levers, and means connecting the lower set of elevating links for operating said weight sustaining levers.

2. it collapsible lifting apparatus including a base having guides, a supporting table also having guides, crossed weight sustaining levers pivoted in axial alinement, lifting links connecting the ends of said levers with the base and supporting table, jointed elevating links connecting the crossed levers and movable at their joints in the guides in the base and supporting .table, and means for actuating said elevating links.

3. A collapsible lifting apparatus including a base, a supporting table, crossed weight sustaining levers pivoted in axial alinement,

lifting links connecting the ends of said levers with the base and supporting table, jointed elevating links connecting the cross levers, thread d bridge pieces pivotally connected to the crossed levers and elevating links, and a screw rod threaded into one of said bridge pieces and detachably threaded into the c her.

4-. A collapsible lifting apparatus including a. base, a supporting table, crossed weight sustaining levers pivoted in axial alinement, lifting links connecting the ends of said levers with the base and supporting table, jointed elevating links pivotally connecting the crossed levers, threaded bridge pieces connected to the crossed levers and elevating links, a removable element in one of said bridge pieces, and a screw rod in threaded engagement with one of said bridge pieces and the removable element in the other.

5. A collapsible lifting device including a base, a supporting table, mainv-eight sustaining levers pivotally connected at their crossing points and arranged in pairs opposite each other, lifting links pivotally connecting the ends of said levers with the base and supporting table, upper and lower jointed elevating links respectively conneeting the crossed levers of each pair at their upper and lower ends, and releasable elevating and retaining means connected to the lower elevating links.

6. A collapsible lifting device including a base, a supporting table, main weight sustaining levers pivotally connected at their crossing points and arranged opposite each other so that their pivots are in axial alinement, lifting links'pivotally connecting the ends of said levers with the base and supporting table, upper and lower sets of jointed elevating links connecting the said crossed levers adjacent their connection with said lifting links, and elevating and retaining means connected to the lower set of jointed elevating links for drawing the main weight sustaining levers together to elevate the table, one end of said elevating means adapted to be displaced from its normal position to effect the quick collapse of the apparatus.

7. A collapsible lifting apparatus including a base, a supporting table, and crossed weight sustaining levers pivoted in axial alinement, lifting links connecting the ends of said levers with the base and supporting table, jointed elevating links pivotally connecting the crossed levers, an internally threaded base piece pivotally connected to the crossed supporting levers and elevating links, a yoke having guide ribs also pivotally connected to the crossed supporting levers.

and elevating links, a threaded nut having grooves for engaging the ribs on the yoke and detachable therefrom, a screw having oppositely pitched threads adapted to engage the threaded bridge piece and the detachable nut, and means for locking the nut in the yoke.

8. A collapsible lifting apparatus including a base, a supporting table, crossed weight-sustaining levers having link connections with the table and base member, and arranged in opposite pairs, jointed elevating links respectively connecting the crossed levers of each pair at their upper and lower ends, and means connecting with certain of said jointed elevating links for expanding and contracting the weight sustaining levers to effect a rise and fall of the supporting table.

9. A collapsible lifting apparatus including a base, a supporting table, crossed weight sustaining levers having link connections with the table and base member and arranged in oppositepairs, jointed elevating links respectively connecting the crossed levers of each pair at theirupper and lower ends, and releasable means connected with the lower jointed elevating links for expanding and contracting the weight sustaining levers to efl'ect a rise and fall of the supporting table.

10. A collapsible lifting apparatus inlid ltltll ltd cluding a base, a supporting table, weight sustaining elements including crossed levers havinglink connections with the table and base member, upper and lower sets of joint ed elevating links connecting the indiv dual levers of each crossed Weight sustaining lever element, connecting members joining the free ends of the opposite jointed links in the lower set of said elevating links, and an elevating and retaining element having a working engagement with one of said connecting members and a detachable working engagement with the other of said connecting members.

11. A collapsible lifting apparatus including a base, a supporting table, weight sustaining elements comprising crossed levers having link connections with the table and base member, and a screw rod having a pivotal operating connection with said levers at one of their joints, and another separable operating connection with said levers at a joint thereof opposite said pivotal operating connection, the separable operating connection permitting the rod to be lifted at one end and turned on said pivotal connection to effect a quick collapse of the apparatus.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDGARD CREMIEU-JAVAL.

Witnesses:

BENJN. THos. KING. Rom. HUNTER. 

